Chance Encounter
by Tristar9000
Summary: Nobody could've guessed what kind of relationship would blossom from a chance encounter between one black haired girl and a certain son of the infamous Alexander Hamilton. Philip Hamilton x OC, Philip/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Just** a quick A/N, it's my first story, I hope you like it. Leave a review, I'm open to (reasonable) criticism. Enjoy!

 **Chapter One**

Another chilly day in New York City, Wednesday, November 12, 1800. A young woman walks around the busy city streets in the mid-afternoon, carrying a basket filled with bread and fruits in the crook of her arm. Her rather simple dark green dress sways in the breeze as she unconsciously pulls her shawl tighter around herself, gazing at the passing masses of people as well as the vibrantly colored trees sporting hues of red, orange, and yellow. She uses this time that it takes to walk back to her home to admire the day, cold though it may be. It is her sixteenth birthday after all, even though her parents asked that she run some errands for them. She can't complain too much though; after all, some of the groceries she picked up are to be used to make her favorite meal for supper later that evening. She glanced back down at the basket in her arms, double checking that she did indeed grab all of the supplies that her parents required of her.

In her moment of distraction, running the list of items through her mind once more, she failed to consider that perhaps she should've stopped moving forward while her attention was drawn away from the path in front of her. As a result, she ran head first into a young man going in the opposite direction, causing both of them to stumble. While the man managed to keep his balance, the woman did not and fell backwards onto the ground. She brushed any stray strands of her somewhat long, straight black hair away from her face and looked up to see what she had mistakenly run into. It turned out to be a person a few inches taller than her sporting curly, dark brown hair and freckles. He was wearing finely made tan breeches with a white shirt and dark blue coat, standard attire for someone on the somewhat more wealthy side of society.

"I-I'm so sorry miss, I should've paid better attention to where I was going," he stuttered out, reaching a hand out to the fallen woman. "Here, let me help you up."

After securing her basket once again-luckily nothing had fallen out-she gladly took the offered hand and stood up. "It's quite alright sir, I wasn't watching where I was going either." She shot him a kind smile to further dissuade any uneasiness or guilt he might be feeling; she wasn't terribly mad about falling, nor did she blame the gentlemen in front of her for anything.

He tentatively returned her smile as he asked, "Are you okay? Nothing hurts too bad, does it?"

"No no, I am perfectly fine. Thank you for helping me up."

"Of course, what kind of man would I be if I left a beautiful lady such as yourself laying on the ground like that?" At this the woman felt herself blush a little bit at the compliment, though whether it was visible or not she couldn't tell.

"Well, thank you anyways. May I have the name of the man who so graciously came to my rescue?" she asked with a hint of mirth in her voice.

"It'd be my pleasure. My name is Philip, Philip Hamilton." Philip gave a courteous bow to the woman in front of him. "And who might you be, if you don't mind?"

"Anna Lindell, at your service," she replied, lifting her dress a little with her free hand as she returned his gesture with a bow of her own.

"Anna? What a wonderful name for an equally wonderful maiden." Again Anna gushed over the compliment, though she wondered if he really agreed with his own flirty comments or if they were just for the sake of politeness.

"Thanks. I ought to be going, I don't wish to trouble you any longer."

"I assure you, it was no trouble at all Ms. Lindell."

"Perhaps I will see you again at some point, Mr. Hamilton."

"Perhaps you will. Farewell!"

"Goodbye!"

With a small wave Anna walked off back in the direction of her house. Philip stood staring after her, but after a moment he turned back around to go to the library, intent on studying more law books just like he's done ever since he graduated from college earlier that year. He was following in his father's footsteps, doing all he could to make his father proud. While his mind turned to focusing on his studies, Anna's thoughts were of her newly acquired year of age and the ever approaching expectations of adulthood. Both continued on their individual paths, both in their minds and on their feet, unknowing of what any possible future encounters with each other might bring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Another** quick note, I may not update this regularly and I'm _sort of_ making this story as I go along. I have ideas of what direction to take this, don't worry, but I'm writing it as I go. Still, I appreciate any reads and reviews! Enjoy!

 **Chapter Two**

A week had gone by, and neither Anna nor Philip thought much more about their quick meeting. Philip went on to study that day as he intended while Anna enjoyed her special day with her parents, her only immediate family since Anna was an only child. They were family that Anna treasured although, like any family, got on her nerves sometimes. Such as today, for example. Her mother, Meredith Clark Lindell, had left just this past weekend to go spend some time with her relatives in the south. She went alone since her husband, Peter Lindell, had to stay in New York for work and Anna didn't want to make the trip. Anna didn't really know the Clark's, her mother's side of the family, all that well due to the long distance between them, and she didn't really care to find out what they were like anytime soon if it was out of her way. Thus, she decided to stay at home for the time being with her father.

The problem with that, however, was that today there were speeches and debates between the candidates running for president, namely Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, happening in the town square. Peter was eager to go and listen so that he could make an informed decision when it came time to vote by the end of the year. He also didn't want to leave Anna home alone, so he insisted that she come along with him. "You may learn a thing or two if you listen," he had told her. Despite her complete lack of interest in the subject matter, especially because she could not vote herself, her father was her father and she ended up being dragged along to the square.

There were large masses of people crowded about the platform where the candidates were either sitting or standing, depending on if they were speaking at the moment or not. While the size of the crowd isn't something that's unheard of in New York City, it certainly isn't common to have so many bodies trying to converge on a single spot like what was occurring today. This made Anna even more annoyed with her predicament; there she stood next to her father in the middle of crowd that was packed together way too tightly, listening to speeches that were all nonsensical in Anna's ears. After an hour of bearing through these conditions with no sign of letting up soon, Anna's irritation and boredom caught up to her.

"Father?" she called. Her voice fell on deaf ears as she saw Peter staring intently over the heads of the people in front of him, focusing on what was happening on the platform in the center of the square. "Father?" she inquired a little louder, this time gently pulling on his coat sleeve to better grab his attention.

Peter turned his head to look at his sixteen year old daughter. "Yes Anna, what is it?"

She looked up at her father with pleading eyes and a frown. "Can we please leave soon? I'm getting tired of standing here all day."

He let out a sigh as his face grew slightly disappointed. "Honey, there's still a lot left to go. I want to be sure I hear everything; I'm sorry if you're getting restless."

Anna's gaze turned to the ground, contemplating her options. After a beat, she looked back up at her father. "Why don't I just head out and hang around town, find something fun to do to keep myself occupied while you finish up here?"

She could immediately tell that Peter wasn't fond of the idea, but to his credit he didn't outright deny her request. Much like his daughter had just done, he weighed his choices before responding. "Alright, you can go. But remember, stay safe, and if I don't see you back at home once I get there, then there will be consequences, so keep track of the time, got it?"

Anna nodded her head as a smile grew on her face. "Got it. I'll see you later father!" She scurried off, pushing her way through the crowd as Peter said his goodbye. Once she breached the edge of the gathering, she took a moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the open space once more. "Much better," she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes.

After a minute or two passed by, she opened her eyes again and began scanning her surroundings, having no real idea of what she wanted to do with this newfound free time. All Anna knew was that she didn't want to return home just yet, and she definitely didn't want to be stuck suffering through long-winded politics any longer. There weren't that many people walking about, most either standing idly around trying to listen to the speeches onstage or somewhere indoors. She began thinking up a list of places she may be interested in going to when a young man walking by caught her eye.

Acting more on instinct, Anna began walking up to the man, sensing that he was familiar but not being able to place just where she had seen or met him before. She didn't really think about what she was doing, her mind was too preoccupied trying to figure out who this man was, and him being the primary subject of her current thoughts compelled her feet to move towards him. It wasn't until she was a couple feet away from him and he turned around to look at her having sensed her presence that Anna snapped out of her reverie.

"Uh, h-hello," Anna stuttered out, suddenly filled with anxiety and panic as she realized she approached a stranger with no idea of what she was going to say to him.

The man looked slightly surprised, though pleasantly so, as he responded to the woman who randomly came up to him. "Hello there miss. Is there something you need of me?"

Anna was frantically searching her thoughts, trying to place how she recognized him. It didn't help that the haze of anxiety settling in her mind made her thoughts run wild, unable to make any progress on figuring out this man's identity and subsequent relation to her. Thus, she started fidgeting with her hands and took a while to respond, causing the man to grow confused. "W-well, I, uh, I just… I recognized you from somewhere, but I can't place where or when that could've been."

He studied her a bit closer, attempting to see if he recognized the woman himself. Anna only became more flustered with his intense stare and silence, making her consider just saying goodbye and initiating a hasty retreat from the uncomfortable moment. But, before she could gather the courage to enact her plan, the man's eyes suddenly lit up with recognition, and his expression turned into a beaming smile.

"Oh, I remember now. It was Ms. Anna Lindell, correct?" He held a hand out to her in greeting, and suddenly Anna's frantic thoughts clicked into place. She knew she remembered that curly hair and those freckles from somewhere.

"Yes, yes it was. Still is, actually." Anna placed her hand in his. "And you are Mr. Philip Hamilton, if I am not mistaken." Her calmed demeanor suddenly became fearful again. "Or am I mistaken? Did I get your name right? Perhaps I'm thinking of someone else."

Philip took her panic in stride, lifting her hand to plant a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "No, you are correct, my name is Philip. I'm sad to say that I momentarily forgot about our encounter last week as well, though now I can't see how that possibly could have happened considering how dazzling you are." As he lowered her hand and returned his own to his side, Anna stood flustered thanks to a combination of her uncertainty, his kiss, and his outright flattery.

Taking a moment to regain her composure, Anna spoke some of her thoughts aloud. "My my Mr. Hamilton, if I didn't know any better I would say that you were desperately trying to court me with all of the flirtatious comments you keep sending my way. However, that couldn't possibly be the case seeing as we have just met."

"Actually, this is the second time we have crossed paths, and I feel like I'm getting to know you better already, Ms. Lindell." Philip flashed Anna a gentle, perhaps even flirty, smile-that is, if Anna was reading the situation correctly. "Besides, what's wrong with trying to court a woman I've just met if I can already tell how kind and considerate she is?"

Anna let out a small laugh. "Mr. Hamilton, do you even hear yourself? Courting a woman you've just met reeks of disaster; you're bound to find out things about each other that you would have no way of figuring out at first glance, and you'd be doomed to either split or suffer a miserable marriage for the rest of your life. You have no idea how 'kind and considerate' I really am just by the mere exchanging of a few words." The small, playful smiles never left either of the adolescents' faces as their conversation continued.

"Well then, why don't I find out? It'd be my honor to accompany you to your destination today, if you'll have me." Philip offered out his arm for Anna to link up with. Meanwhile, she could not believe what was transpiring in front of her. A flirty confrontation with a man she had just met in passing last week, and by bumping straight into each other no less. This was not how she imagined her day going at all, and for a moment she considered how trustworthy this complete stranger was. New York City wasn't necessarily that big, she reasoned, but it most certainly had its fair share of thugs, liars, cheaters, thieves, and murderers. Spending the day walking around with Philip suddenly didn't sound like the safest idea to Anna, but if he was truly a gentleman and man of honor as he appeared to be, then she should have no reason to doubt him. But appearances aren't everything.

Philip began to get disheartened at Anna's hesitance, but finally she made up her mind and linked arms with Philip, hooking her elbow around his outstretched one. "I'd love to spend time with fine company such as yourself today. However, I don't exactly have any destination in mind."

"Then do you mind if I lead the way?"

Anna pushed down any remaining insecurities that bubbled up at the prospect of Philip taking her somewhere she wasn't aware of. "Of course not. After you, Philip Hamilton."


	3. Chapter 3

**Woah** , did I seriously just finish a chapter and post it the next day? I surprise myself with that kind of dedication! Here's to hopefully keeping that motivation up (especially around any work I have to do but am postponing)! Anyways, this is by far the longest chapter yet, so I hope you guys enjoy!

 **Chapter 3**

Anna and Philip walked arm in arm along the city streets, further away from the people discussing and listening to politics. Despite her uncertainties about her current predicament, Anna couldn't be happier leaving the square where the main focus was a topic that she couldn't care any less about. She understood that the formation of a brand new nation with a brand new system of government was important, but seeing as she would likely play no real part in any of it during her lifetime, Anna didn't feel the need to learn every little detail about what was going on. Not to mention that the speeches and campaigning were all boring regardless.

Shaking her head slightly, Anna rid herself of those negative thoughts about the happenings in the square and instead turned to look at Philip. Sensing her eyes on him, Philip turned his own head to look right back at Anna with a grin gracing his features. This man intrigued Anna for reasons she couldn't quite name, and she found herself wondering about all of these little things regarding what he might be like. It included mundane things like his favorite color or food as well as more pertinent information such as what kind of work he did. She desperately hoped something such as murder wasn't involved.

Feeling like she had been staring at him for a little too long, Anna returned her gaze in front of her, trying to appear nonchalant, almost like she was afraid that he could read her thoughts. As Philip lead them around a corner, Anna felt compelled to ask, "Where exactly are we going Mr. Hamilton?" Anna knew her way around New York considering she's grown up there her entire life, but they were starting to walk down a street Anna wasn't very familiar with.

"We're going to visit a place I like to go to for clearing my head and writing poems. It's a rather peaceful spot that I'm sure you'll love," Philip responded enthusiastically.

"Writing poems, huh?" Anna inquired. She cast a curious glance in his direction. "So you're a writer then?"

"Well, uh, sort of," he explained, "I'm studying law just like my father did, but the poem writing is more of a hobby of mine."

Anna absorbed this information, pleased to learn something new about this Philip she's decided to hang around. She gave an approving "hmph" in acknowledgement and left it at that, not having anything in mind for a further response.

The pair continued their casual stroll through the city, the autumn chill ever present in the air. Eventually they came upon a somewhat secluded park closer to the edge of the city. Trees sporting their bright, colorful hues could be found interspersed between patches of open grass and stone benches. A winding dirt pathway lead its way throughout the small park, though it was a little difficult to determine its start and end thanks to the numerous leaves covering the ground. It seemed as though nobody was here, which Philip and Anna both found to be fortunate since there'd be no interruptions or lingering eyes watching them. However, this fact also did little to settle Anna's simmering doubts regarding her situation, that situation being the fact that she was alone with a complete stranger in an area she didn't recognize.

Philip led the way over to one of the benches that sat underneath one of the larger trees, its overhanging branches providing suitable cover from the sun. The two sat down, Anna on the right side and Philip on the left, both facing out towards the rest of the area. A pleasant atmosphere settled over them as they soaked in the peace, quiet, and beauty of this hidden gem that Philip frequented.

Anna was content to just sit there and cherish the moment, even briefly closing her eyes and allowing her guard to go down, but Philip spoke up, trying to strike up some conversation.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Anna opened her eyes and turned to her companion, pondering his question for a moment.

"The park you mean? Yeah, it really is. I can see why you like writing poems here." Philip's gaze shifted over to Anna, intently listening to what she had to say. "How did you even find this place? I've never noticed it before, and I've lived here my entire life!"

"It happens to be pretty close to where I live. My family and I would come here sometimes and play around, have fun together. My siblings still drop by sometimes, but visits here as a whole family…" Philip trailed off, growing a sad expression as he got lost in his memories. "My parents don't really spend any time together anymore. Those days have passed." He stopped his explanation there, and Anna couldn't help but wonder what had happened to split up his family like that, but she knew better than to pry so early on in their relationship, or friendship, or whatever you wanted to call this forming bond between them.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she pathetically stated, knowing that the words did little to change or benefit the situation but feeling the need to say them anyways.

Philip did his best to smile, but Anna could tell there was a hint of pain underlying it. "It's alright, it's not like it was your fault or anything."

"I know, but still." Anna searched her brain for something to say, specifically a change in topic; she didn't want this conversation to become any more depressing than it already was. "You said you studied law, right? Is...is it any fun?" she asked uncertain.

"Is studying law fun?" he repeated incredulously, chuckling a little at her question. "No, not really. It's a lot of work and reading, though I guess you could say it's bearable enough for me to keep continuing with it. What about you, what do you do with your time, Ms. Lindell?"

Anna was a little taken aback by the question, though she couldn't say she didn't see it coming. It took her a moment to think of her answer. "Most of the work I do is around the house, doing chores or running errands for my parents. I can read well and write okay, though I don't have very much of an education past that. I'm basically just waiting until I have to go off on my own, take on more responsibilities, and get married and have a family."

Phillip nodded at her response but wasn't completely satisfied. "What do you do in your free time then, just for fun? Any particular hobbies that you have?"

"Mmm, I guess if I had to name a hobby it would be knitting," Anna stated honestly.

"Knitting?" Philip laughed again. "Can you really call knitting fun? That's something only elderly women do!" Anna's expression turned sour, and she huffed in indignation, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll have you know knitting is relaxing and calming and makes for a great activity to pass the time! You can let your mind wander while you create something new with your own two hands!" Anna could tell Philip wasn't buying it, which only made her grow more defensive. "Besides, it's not like poetry is any better! I mean, what does it really do? It's just a bunch of random words smacked together that act like their all-important when really they don't make any sense half the time and don't contribute anything to society! What's the point of it all?"

Anna's outburst, while amusing to Philip, just made him get defensive over his own pastime. "Poetry is not just 'a bunch of random words smacked together' and it does to contribute to society."

"Oh yeah?" Anna challenged. "How?"

Philip's tone became proper and educational as he said, "It is a fine and delicate art form that allows an author to express their deepest emotions that they normally wouldn't ever share with another living soul. It takes lots of time and careful consideration to create a poem, and it involves many important decisions to make such as how many stanzas it should have, what type of rhyme scheme should be incorporated, how many syllables are in each line, and so on, all in order to convey the message that the author has intricately woven through the use of various sophisticated literary techniques."

Philip's long-winded explanation did little to dissuade Anna from her opinion, so she retorted with, "Or you could just say 'nature is nice, enjoy it' or 'war is traumatizing, avoid it' or whatever other nonsense it is that poems rant on about."

While he couldn't be any more opposed to Anna's view, Philip let it slide for the time being. Instead, he gave a dramatic gasp and could barely contain the grin on his face as he stated, "Ms. Lindell, you have such a way with words! Such eloquence, such wisdom!" He got off the bench and dramatically bent down on one knee in front of Anna, bowing his head a little as he continued with his little act. "Please, I beg of you, teach me the ways of your outstanding poetry skills!"

Anna was still upset over Philip dissing her enjoyment of knitting, but the display he was putting on made it hard to stay mad at him for very long. She didn't say anything at first, too focused on trying to maintain her angry expression, but when she realized that she was failing miserably she gave up. Anna burst out laughing, thoroughly amused at the young Hamilton's antics. Philip was pleased with this development, and he waited until she finally calmed down enough to say, "Well, if I can win you over so easily, then maybe it's worth having you stick around for a while Mr. Hamilton."

"It would be an honor to be by your side, Ms. Lindell." Anna was merely teasing, but the way Philip replied back almost made it seem like he was serious. Any remaining giggles Anna still had in her system left, leaving her with just a handsome young man kneeling in front of her saying he'd like to remain at her side. The romantic implications weren't lost on Anna, and she felt herself smiling with a faint blush despite herself.

As she was busy trying to bury any fantastical scenarios that were popping up in her head unannounced and unwelcome, Philip was hoping that the heat he felt in his face wasn't visible. The implications of what he just said weren't lost on him either, and though he was just spewing out whatever polite, flirty comments came to mind, he found himself genuinely believing his own words, just a little bit. He realized that Anna was still virtually a complete stranger to him, but thus far she hadn't given him any reason to dislike her. Well, aside from apparently hating poetry, but that was a minor setback that could be fixed later. Wait, "setback" to what? "Fixed later"? How far in the future was "later" supposed to be?

The two adolescents were so caught up in their own thoughts that neither of them moved or spoke for some time. Philip was the first to react once they both noticed the awkward silence permeating the air. He coughed a little, shifting so that he was now standing in front of Anna, who remained sitting on the stone bench.

"Well, I suppose we should be heading out now," Philip started, reaching a hand out to the still stunned Anna. "Is there a certain time you should be home by?"

Anna cautiously extended her own hand, allowing herself to be pulled up with a little help from Philip. "I just need to be back before my father gets there, so I have until the end of the presidential candidate debate."

"Considering that Burr is going to be speaking last and Jefferson seemed close to wrapping up his speech when I ran into you, we should probably return you home now, just to be safe."

"What does the order of the candidates have to do with when I should be getting back home?" The pair linked their arms again as the conversation continued, beginning the trek back to the Lindell residence.

"Since Burr is not very forthcoming on any particular stances, he won't have a lot to say in his speech. Thus, the debate will end sooner than you would think, and we don't want you getting in trouble for running late now do we?" Philip flashed Anna a kind smile, and she returned it, unable to keep the residual joy from earlier from showing her face.

"No, I guess not. I assume you follow politics closely if you seem to know the candidates so well." Philip chuckled at her comment.

"Not necessarily. I do keep track of things, but most of my knowledge of the candidates comes from my father's endless rants about them that I end up being forced to listen to." Anna visibly winced at the idea of having to bear political talk for any extended period of time.

"Oof, I'm sorry to hear that! It must be exhausting having to deal with that sort of thing."

"It's not so bad. My father has always had great ideas and a lot to say. Whatever he doesn't get a chance to say out loud he usually ends up writing down in the endless hours he spends in his office." Thinking about what he said made Philip's mouth turn sour, realizing just what exactly Alexander has written down before and why he's spent more time in his office for the past three years than he ever did previously.

Anna could sense the tension underlying the silence that was left after Philip had spoken, though she didn't have a clue as to why it was there. She settled for keeping her mouth closed for the remainder of the walk to her house, taking comfort in the company she had on this little journey. This time, Anna led the way through the city streets until they came upon the place she called home. It was a modest house, having plenty of space for the family of three that lived there and looking as kept up as the next house, though it certainly wasn't any great mansion to boast about.

Philip walked Anna up to her doorstep where they both paused and turned to face each other fully. Anna had no idea what to say, not sure what to make of her outing today, and while Philip was still agitated over his train of thought he figured he should be the first to speak up, being the gentleman.

"I had a pleasant time with you today, Ms. Lindell. I hope we can meet up again like this in the future."

Stifling any awkward notions she may have had, Anna managed to reply, "Just Anna, please. And I enjoyed our time together as well. I look forward to our next meeting, Mr. Hamilton."

"Philip will do just fine."

"Alright then, Philip." Anna opened the front door, taking a step inside before looking back at her newfound companion. "Until we meet again. Goodbye!" She gave a little wave, feeling giddy at the notion of running into Philip later on.

"Goodbye Anna!" Philip waved back, and she gently closed the door, retreating further into her house. She checked to see if her father was home yet, and once she was sure the house was empty and Philip had left, she let her face light up and let out an excited squeal. No, she was not falling head over heels for a guy she just met, she told herself. She was merely letting out all the built up joy she had left over from the fun day she had away from any dreaded politics. Yep, just pure, innocent, childish excitement.

Outside, after Anna had closed the door, Philip breathed out a content sigh, letting an easygoing grin cross his face before turning around and shaking his head as he strode away from Anna's front door. Anna Lindell was an interesting character to be sure, but not one he had all of the puzzle pieces to just yet. When he reached the sidewalk, he glanced back at the house, half-curious if perhaps she would open the door and call out to him. Nah, that was silly and Philip knew it. Still, he scanned the house before moving his gaze to the street, double checking the name of the street posted on a nearby sign. After memorizing her address, Philip left, contemplating what he wanted to do next with that information.

Neither of them had any clue as to where this path was going to take them, but they were both ready to walk it regardless.


End file.
